1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the development of a new biotype of the soilborne beneficial fungus Trichoderma viride and more particularly to the ability of the new biotype to tolerate a systemic fungicide and to suppress Fusarium wilt of chrysanthemum.
2. Description of the Art
The development of new strains or biotypes of Trichoderma viride resistant to benomyl, a commercially available fungicide, by gamma irradiation has been reported, but the biological control capabilities of the benomyl tolerant biotypes were not described. The development of new biotypes of Trichoderma harzianum tolerant to some commercially available fungicides has been described as was the development of ten biotypes of Trichoderma viride by ultraviolet radiation. However, the new biotype, T-1-R9, of this invention and its tolerance to fungicides of the methyl benzimidazole carbamate group and its ability to control wilt of chrysanthemums caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. chrysanthemi has not been described heretofore.